Leasing Patea Lands.

Patea Mail, 15 September 1882, Page 3

Leasing Patea Lands.

No district will benetit more than Patea by the now power of leasing Crown lands and public reserves. Rough and broken bush country such as that behind this open coast could hardly be cleared and occupied upon any system of purchase ; whereas the new principle of leasing such land for a long term, with right of purchase or right of compensation for improvements, is exactly suited to such a district. We observe that money is voted for opening roads through the University reserve, the Hon se having just passed £1,376 chiefly for this purpose and for other bush land near Patea. The money should be spent during the fine weather this season. A track is already cleared a few miles into the bush, but this is only the beginning of a larger work. Mr Mabin has surveyed a number of bush sections fit for agriculture, in areas of 200 to 300 acres; and the firewood reserve of 300 acres is surveyed into lots of 10 acres. The passing of Mr Rolleston’s Land Bill will enable these sections to be put in the market. A new Act was needed to deal with this land, there being no power to sell or lease the 10,000 acres which had been set aside as a University reserve for the colony. Thus that large area of fair to good land, most of it fit to plough, has been locked up against settlement; and special power had to be taken before the land could be used for any purpose. It has been a blight close to the fown and port. Mr Rolleston’s bill unlocks this large area behind Patea, and is a local boon of great value. The bill also legalises the new principle of leasing such land for a long terra, with right of compensation for improvements at the end of the term, or right of renewal at a fair rental. The prospect thus opened should be encouraging to those whose prosperity depends on the growth of Patea.